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Since 2022, the Canadian Community Action and Restorative Empowerment Society has hosted the Bubble Tea Festival annually in the summer at the central park sports field in Burnaby. By leveraging bubble tea, a beverage familiar to all ethnic groups in Canada, the festival attracts the public to learn about Taiwan.
The fifth annual Bubble Tea Festival will still be held on August 1st, 2026, at Central Park. A large inflatable bubble tea sculpture stands prominently at the festival grounds. Numerous beverage and food trucks, various vendor stalls, and game booths adorn both sides of the sports field, interspersed with large display boards featuring famous Taiwanese landmarks such as Taipei’s Raohe Street Night Market and Ximending, allowing visitors to take photos.
Eco-Friendly Crafts and Games
Tzu Chi has participated for five consecutive years. This year, the Burnaby volunteers are organizing the event, collaborating with youth volunteers and the TIMA (Tzu Chi International Medical Association) to offer eco-friendly games and crafts that educate and entertain, guiding the public to “Cherish Nature.” This serves as an opportunity to engage with the community, promote Tzu Chi, and attract volunteers. Tzu Chi’s twelve blue tents are lined up directly opposite the stage, standing out prominently on the green sports field.
A large bubble tea cup hangs in front of the “Eco-Friendly Crafts” booth, designed by volunteer Zi-Ling Guo to match the Bubble Tea Festival theme. The main materials used for the artwork are small cardboard pieces cut from recycled cardboard boxes, along with straws rolled from recycled paper, various colored “pearls,” and Jing Si Aphorism cards. Participants are encouraged to glue and paste these together to create small bubble tea cup crafts. A Jing Si Aphorism is attached to the back, delighting both adults and children.
The “Eco-Friendly Games,” led by youth volunteers, focuses on saving the ocean. The youth volunteers handmade game props, including fishing rods and cardboard boxes filled with “trash.” Tzu Ching (Tzu Chi Youth) volunteer Pei-Ran Gu said, “The theme is protecting the environment and purifying the ocean. We want to promote this idea to everyone and hope more young people join Tzu Ching.” Participants in the game try to “fish” trash out of the ocean, learning about the impact of waste on the marine environment in the process. Upon completing the game, participants can spin a gashapon machine, designed and made by the youth volunteers, to receive a prize.
The “Cherish Nature” photo-op board is one of the highlights of Tzu Chi’s booth. Volunteers invite passersby to pose with the board and act as photographers, helping them find the best angles. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, who came to support the Bubble Tea Festival, also took a photo with the photo-op board. He said, “I am very grateful for the dedicated efforts of Tzu Chi volunteers in the Burnaby community, making society better. Tzu Chi’s reach extends not only in Burnaby but also worldwide. Thank you!”
Engaging with the Community to Share Tzu Chi
The “Get Involved” booth displayed Tzu Chi’s promotional materials for its various missions in Canada, as well as textbooks used by the Tzu Chi Academy. The principal and director of the Tzu Chi Academy, Burnaby were present to introduce the school and actively recruit students. Principal Li-Qin Lin seized every opportunity to ask, “Do you have children who would like to attend classes?”
Volunteer Bao-Luo Jin stepped out from the booth, actively introducing Tzu Chi’s spirit and global footprint, and inviting people to draw Jing Si Aphorism bookmarks. Jia-Fang (Monica) Rao from Indonesia brought her two children. She said, “I received the Jing Si Aphorism ‘Today’s hard work is tomorrow’s blossoms and fruits,’ and ‘Life has no opportunity to turn back; when facing adversity, one must bravely confront it.’ Indeed, in this life, whatever adversity we encounter, we must face it bravely. After facing it, there will surely be a better future awaiting us!” She is a Buddhist, and the way Tzu Chi people put the Buddha’s teachings into practice deeply moved her, making her eager to join.
Ivan, a former Tzu Chi photography volunteer in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, moved to West Vancouver four years ago. His mother, a Tzu Chi commissioner, constantly reminded him to rejoin, but he always felt he hadn’t settled down yet, and his children were still young, so the time wasn’t right. When he learned about the Bubble Tea Festival in Burnaby, he brought his children to check it out. To his surprise, upon entering the venue, he saw a long row of Tzu Chi tents, astonished to find Tzu Chi at such an event! He thought that perhaps the time had come, and it was time to rejoin.
Free Medical Consultations and Sign Language Performances Are Well-Received
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) free clinic booth was always popular, serving seventy people within the limited time. Dr. Wei-Ting Li, a young physician participating in the clinic, found the activity very engaging. He said, “It’s different from seeing patients in a clinic. Here, I can help many people who don’t know about TCM, and there are many English-speaking individuals, which is very moving.”
Tzu Chi volunteers presented two stage performances at this year’s Bubble Tea Festival. Volunteer Xue-Qian Lin first introduced Tzu Chi in English, explaining what kind of organization it is. The principal, teachers, academic director, and compassionate volunteers of the Tzu Chi Academy, Burnaby accompanied students in a sign language performance of “One Family,” with Zi-Ling Guo’s four-year-old granddaughter bravely taking the stage as well. The other performance was an English sign language song, “The Spirit of Great Love,” featuring two mother-daughter pairs on stage. After the performance, Xue-Qian Lin came on stage with sunflowers from Tzu Chi Great Love Garden, announcing that the garden was holding a Sunflower Festival and inviting interested individuals to inquire at the Tzu Chi booth.
CEO Mac Miao arrived from Tzu Chi Great Love Garden in the afternoon to encourage the volunteers. He said, “All volunteers, whether in charity, education, or medicine, have done an outstanding job. The Tzu Chi booth had the most people and was the most popular at the venue. These are all the results of the diligent efforts of our volunteers.”
The event coordinator, Xue-Qian Lin, said, “This is our fifth year participating in the Bubble Tea Festival, showcasing Tzu Chi’s humanistic values and compassionate footprint. At the same time, we are promoting Tzu Chi’s ideals, hoping to attract more new volunteers and strengthen our connection with the community, so that Tzu Chi’s path can be smoother.”